With only three special stages remaining, Bonato holds a 6.9-second lead over his compatriot Mathieu Franceschi. Driving a Citroen, Bonato has consistently clocked times very close to the fastest. Since Bonato is not competing in the full series, he can take more risks than Franceschi, who is commanding a Skoda.
“I push hard because it is a real pleasure to be here. The car is perfect, the team is perfect,” Bonato said.
“It’s so difficult to know what I want, but for sure I want the points for the championship. I want to keep my feeling and my speed. I don’t want to take any risks and if we want to win, it’s good for Michelin,” Franceschi added.
Also read: Dramatic video captures Skoda’s high-speed crash into stone house during ERC rally
New Zealand’s Hayden Paddon is currently in third place in his Hyundai. With a gap of 28.9 seconds to the leader, Paddon needs issues from the top two to advance.
“Felt better, we made a small change to the car so we had a lot less understeer in this one. There’s a few limitations but we’re trying our best,” commented Paddon.
However, Paddon must fight tooth and nail for the podium, as host country’s Diego Ruiloba is just two seconds behind in fourth place. Jose Suarez and Alejandro Cachon, also in close proximity, are within striking distance of a podium finish.
Three more special stages will be run on Saturday in the Canary Islands after the service break.
Standings in the ERC Rally Islas Canarias after SS10/13:
| POS | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Yoann Bonato | Citroen | 1:28:27.2 |
| 2. | Mathieu Franceschi | Skoda | +6.9 |
| 3. | Hayden Paddon | Hyundai | +28.9 |
| 4. | Diego Ruiloba | Citroen | +30.9 |
| 5. | Jose Suarez | Skoda | +31.5 |
| 6. | Alejandro Cachon | Toyota | +36.7 |
| 7. | Jon Armstrong | Ford | +43.8 |
| 8. | Mikolaj Marczyk | Skoda | +44.8 |
| 9. | Mads Østberg | Citroen | +50.0 |
| 10. | Yeray Lemes | Citroen | +54.5 |
